Unlimited Festival 2024: A play that challenged everything

Tess, from our Comms team, had the chance to attend the Unlimited Festival at the Southbank Centre, which celebrates the creativity of disabled artists. The festival ran from September 4th - 8th and featured everything from dance and comedy to music, poetry, and visual art. One of the standout performances that Tess had the chance to see was “It’s a Motherf**king Pleasure” by FlawBored, a theatre company known for its sharp, dark humour and irreverence.

The play is a satire on the monetisation of identity politics, posing the uncomfortable question: what if disabled people were out to make money from the guilt of non-disabled, anxious people? Fresh from its successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, this show was anything but predictable. It was chaotic, cheeky, and completely unapologetic in its message.

Tess’ thoughts and insights:

The first element that stood out to me was how the accessibility of the performance was woven into the show itself. There was a screen at the back of the stage displaying captions, but rather than being something you might overlook, the person typing them—dubbed "the captioner"—became a character in their own right. It was a clever, refreshing way to make accessibility part of the performance, not something separate or secondary.

The play itself was loud, fast-paced, and sharp. Through a series of sketches and interactions with the audience, the actors brilliantly highlighted how our well-meaning buzzwords and constant apologies can tie us in knots, making things worse rather than better. They even joked about how their play should automatically get five-star reviews—because who would dare criticise a play about disability? It was an uncomfortable, but necessary, reminder of the way we approach inclusivity in society.

For me, the biggest takeaway was how the play exposed the complexities of inclusivity efforts. It made me realise that true inclusivity isn’t just about ticking boxes or using the right language—it’s about genuinely understanding and engaging with the lived experiences of marginalised communities. The play forced me to confront my own assumptions and biases and reminded me that inclusivity needs to go beyond surface-level gestures to create meaningful change.

FlawBored: It’s a Motherf**king Pleasure press shot